Inventions Facts for Kids
Genius facts about great inventions
Engineer Percy Spencer realised that microwaves could cook food when a chocolate bar in his pocket melted while he was working near a magnetron. The first microwave oven was nearly two metres tall!
The lithium-ion battery, developed during the 1970s–80s, made smartphones, laptops, and electric vehicles practical. Its three inventors shared the 2019 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.
Adhesive plasters (Band-Aids) were invented in 1920 by Earle Dickson because his wife kept cutting herself while cooking. He stuck gauze onto surgical tape so she could bandage herself one-handed.
The glue behind Post-it Notes was created by accident in 1968, but it wasn't turned into a useful product until 1974 when a colleague wanted a bookmark that wouldn't fall out of his hymn book.
The first practical silicon solar cell was invented at Bell Laboratories in 1954. It converted about 6% of sunlight into electricity — modern panels achieve over 20%.
Marvin Stone patented the paper drinking straw in 1888 because he was tired of the grassy taste of the natural rye straws people used at the time.
Canned food was invented in 1810, but the can opener wasn't invented until 1858 — nearly 50 years later. Before that, people used hammers and chisels!
Legend has it that Sir Isaac Newton invented the cat flap so his cat could come and go without disturbing his light-sensitive experiments.
Volvo engineer Nils Bohlin invented the modern three-point seat belt in 1959. Volvo then made the patent free for all car manufacturers because they believed saving lives was more important than profit.
Wi-Fi does not actually stand for 'wireless fidelity' or anything else — it is simply a brand name created by a marketing firm to sound catchy.